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March 26, 2007

The Signs of Spring

Ah, spring. I know it's on it's way because of all the signs...

Sign #1 - The sun.The days are longer than twelve hours now, giving me lots of time in the evenings to head out onto the snowy trails to do some biking, so that's what I did yesterday and today. There is nothing quite like biking in the spring-time sunshine, soaking in the rays on my now-exposed face and sometimes even hands, and remembering what it's like to squint because of the tiny stars reflecting off the snowy ground (as opposed to squinting because of a biting north wind).

Sign #2 - The irresistible urge to go outside and play.I've had to go outside and burn some energy. And there is nothing quite so aerobic as trying to pedal your bike uphill on a half-packed trail of melting snow. And there is nothing quite like that feeling you get when your back tire sinks into the trail and you need to stabilize yourself, so you put your foot out (into the snow that's off the trail and isn't packed at all) and sink deep past your knee while the rest of you goes flying down onto that evil, evil bar that doesn't exist on "ladies bikes" and your eyes roll back into your head and you let out a little squeak of pain as you realise that you might not be having as many kids as you originally planned...

Even the pets are spending a lot more time near the doors. They want to go out and play, too.

Sign #3 - The plants are trying to tell us something.We don't notice a lot of what plants say, but if you pay attention, I guarantee you'll agree that they're trying to tell us something. The spruce and lodgepole pine have shed their heavy white winter coats. The pussies on the willow tree in my backyard are starting to make an appearance. The buds on the poplars are starting to swell, just a little bit. They're all getting ready for the busy season.

Even worse though, is the emergence of a winter's worth of dog droppings. They're everywhere!

Sign #5 - Nanuq's belly turns a different colour.Now that I can get out and ride my bike again, I will sometimes ride along the side of a road. Naturally, Nanuq chases me along the side of the road. When we get back, his legs and belly are covered in road-dirt. Fortunately, this isn't much of a problem yet, since I can just play fetch with him and throw his ball into the deep, clean snow. The snow scrubs his belly off; It works like a charm.

So, Spring is making its appearance. Now I'm just waiting for that last heavy snow storm (or two) before Winter blows itself out. I'm going to miss the snowy season, though. Well, there's always next year.